


A Not-Quite-Deception

by stillskies



Category: Hikaru no Go
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-04
Updated: 2012-03-04
Packaged: 2017-11-01 02:44:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/351070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillskies/pseuds/stillskies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Morishita decides that group members will host study group from now on, Saeki panics.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Not-Quite-Deception

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted 09-03-2010

People, Kouji realizes one day as he and Ashiwara are leaving the Ki-in together, are beginning to notice. It doesn’t bother him as much as he thinks it should – after all, his relationship with Ashiwara has always been ambiguous and moving in together hasn’t changed that – but the knowing smirks from Shindou and Waya are beginning to grate on his nerves, and Morishita-sensei’s questioning glances whenever he passes the two rivals on match days are starting to get less questioning and more bewildered with each passing day.

What makes it worse is that Touya-former-meijin even seems to know, which just makes Kouji all sorts of uncomfortable.

It’s not that he’s embarrassed – Ashiwara has been hanging off of him and pulling him along since they were insei and their relationship was less ambiguous and more just friends. So, when he moves out of Ashiwara’s grasp as they step onto the street, it’s not because he’s embarrassed, but because Ogata-jyuudan is staring at them with an amused smile and Kuwabara-former-honinbou – he finally lost his title to Shindou the week before – is cackling madly.

Ashiwara, of course, seems blissfully unaware. Kouji wonders how his rival can be so unaffected by absolutely everything. He has a theory that it has to do with spending so much time with Ogata-jyuudan. That, Kouji reasons, would be enough to cure anyone of squeamishness for life. He doesn’t mention this to Ashiwara whenever they talk about it – and they _do_ , at _length_ , at least once a week because Kouji gets more fidgety as the week progresses, and Ashiwara thinks talking it out will help, which it _doesn’t_ – because Ashiwara seems fond of the other pro, even if he does admit that the white suits are a little too 80s.

So they walk down the street to the train station while everyone stares behind them with knowing looks – or, in Kuwabara-former-honinbou’s case, cackles and _comments_ – and Kouji does his best to ignore them.

+++

It works well until later that week. Kouji is at Morishita-sensei’s, discussing Shindou’s brilliant win – Shindou, who is smirking and enjoying the fawning and praise that Morishita-sensei is heaping on him – when it happens.

In retrospect, he’s sure that he can blame Waya for this, because it is always somehow Waya’s fault when it comes to Morishita-sensei and his absurdly overprotective streak.

“Starting next week,” Morishita-sensei announces, shooting glares at Waya, who is ineffectively hiding behind an amused Shindou, “we will not be having study group here.”

Kouji frowns. “Are we having them at the Ki-in?” 

Morishita-sensei shakes his head and gives Kouji an inscrutable look. Kouji liked it better when sensei was glaring at Waya. “Everyone here will host at their house. We’ll rotate.” He looks at Shindou, who, for a brief moment, looks panicky. “Shindou, make sure you talk to your family and get their permission.”

Shindou smiles brightly and nods, and Kouji realizes that Morishita-sensei doesn’t _know_. He gives the young title holder a knowing look. Shindou looks innocently at the ceiling.

“Next week,” Morishita-sensei continues, “will be at Saeki’s. Make sure to get his address before next week. That is all.” Morishita-sensei stands up and looks at Waya. “Waya. Come with me.”

Waya stands and looks at everyone glumly.

“I’ll make sure to write a proper eulogy for you, Waya,” Shindou snickers quietly.

Kouji shakes his head and walks out the door, Shindou behind him. They’ve gotten halfway to the train stop when Shindou says suddenly, “Sensei _does_ know you’re living with Ashiwara-san, right?”

“Yeah,” Kouji retorts, rolling his eyes. “Just like he knows that _you’re_ living with Touya-Ouza.”

“But _I_ can still hide it,” Shindou replies smugly. They make it to the train station and he pats Kouji on the back. “I can’t _wait_ for next week,” he says cheerfully before running towards his train, which has just pulled into the station.

Kouji watches him go as the familiar feeling of dread curls up in his stomach.

+++

“It won’t be so bad,” he says as he unlocks the apartment door. “After all, it’s not like he can _actually_ kill me.”

“Who can’t kill you, Kouji?” a puzzled looking Ashiwara asks from the kitchen.

Kouji starts and breathes a quick sigh of relief after he locks the door behind him, looking out the peephole for good measure. “No one,” he tells his amused looking rival.

Ashiwara – being Ashiwara – shrugs and takes him at face value. “Tea?”

“Yes, please.”

+++

Waya looks haggard at their oteai match later that week, and Kouji, who has relaxed considerably after realizing that Ashiwara has study group the same night that Kouji does, takes pity on him and waves him over.

“He’s going to kill me,” Waya moans in greeting, dropping down in the chair next to Kouji.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing!”

Kouji raises his eyebrow and Waya squirms. He doesn’t believe that for a minute.

“Anyway,” Waya says hastily. “Are you kicking out Ashiwara-san?”

Kouji blinks. “What?” he asks incredulously, because even when he was freaking out about it, _that_ had never crossed his mind.

Waya rolls his eyes. “For the study session.”

“Oh.” Of course that’s it. Clearly Kouji’s thinking too much. “No, he has study group the same night, so he won’t be home, anyway.”

“Lucky,” Waya says, studying him. Kouji fights the urge to squirm. “So, is Ogata-jyuudan running it next week, then?”

“What?”

“You know,” Waya adds, a pitying smile on his face, “since Touya-sensei is out of the country until the end of the month.”

+++

The world, Kouji decides darkly, is out to get him. 

He and Ashiwara are leaving the Ki-in together. Again. And everyone is staring at them with knowing glances. Again. 

And Shindou and Waya are outside, with wide grins on their faces and bags of food from the convenience store in their hands. 

“We figured you didn’t have any popcorn,” Waya says in explanation.

“Or instant ramen.” 

Ashiwara frowns. “I can make you some fresh ramen, Shindou-kun.” 

“It’s okay, Ashiwara-san,” Shindou says cheerfully. “Touya doesn’t let me have it in the apartment, so I haven’t had instant in a while.”

Kouji glares murder at the two but they cheekily ignore him, instead making conversation with Ashiwara, who keeps shooting Kouji worried glances that Kouji steadily ignores.

“So,” Ashiwara is saying, “how many of there are you in Morishita-sensei’s group?”

Waya is counting on his fingers when Kouji grabs Ashiwara’s elbow. “Ashiwara-san,” he begins, but Ashiwara puts a finger on his mouth and raises his eyebrows.

“Hiroyuki,” Kouji corrects himself and ignores the snickering of Waya and Shindou. “I thought you were going to Ogata-jyuudan’s.”

Ashiwara rolls his eyes. “I am,” he replies, pulling out his train fare and boarding. “But I thought that I could make dinner.”

Kouji is grateful that he doesn’t mention the last time he tried to make dinner – he knows that Waya and Shindou would _never_ let him live it down – and sighs, which Ashiwara takes as agreement.

“So, Shindou-kun, Waya-kun,” Ashiwara says with a sunny smile. “What would you guys like for dinner?”

+++

Shindou and Waya are dead to him. 

Ashiwara should have left _an hour_ ago, and now Kouji is staring at the clock, which mocks him with every inaudible _tick_ it gives.

“I really should be going,” Ashiwara says uncertainly, looking first at Kouji and then at the clock. If Ashiwara’s expression is anything to go by, he’s pretty sure he looks desperate. “Ogata-san is probably wondering where I am.”

“Are you sure, Ashiwara-san?” Shindou is grinning widely at Kouji while Waya downs one of Kouji’s Ramune. 

“Yes.” Ashiwara grabs his coat and gives Kouji a look that is equal parts amusement and sincere apology. 

Kouji stands up and walks Ashiwara to the door. “Thanks,” Kouji says softly.

Ashiwara places his hand on Kouji’s wrist and smiles softly. “I’ll see you later, Kouji.” The smile turns mischievous. “I’ll tell Ogata-san you say hello.”

Before Kouji can reply, Ashiwara is out the door and Shirakawa is walking up the stairs.

“Saeki-kun,” Shirakawa greets him, holding out a bottle of sake. 

Kouji smiles and shows him inside.

+++

They are taking a break when Shindou loudly complains that he’s hungry. Kouji rolls his eyes but stands up, intending to get the curry that Ashiwara made earlier.

“Shall we order sushi?” Tsuzuki-san suggests.

“Nah,” Waya snickers. “Saeki-san’s _girlfriend_ made enough food for everyone.”

Shindou joins Waya in his snickering. _Dead to me,_ Kouji reiterates to himself.

“Girlfriend?” Morishita-sensei asks, eyebrows raised in surprise.

Shirakawa is looking at him, and Kouji can see the pieces coming together. Before Kouji can say anything, Shirakawa is smiling at him and saying, “Congratulations.” Then he is leaning over and whispering something in Tsuzuki-san’s ear which sounds an awful lot like ‘you owe me.’

Morishita-sensei has snapped himself out of his apparent shock – which, Kouji thinks bitterly, is unfair because he’s good-looking enough that he _could_ have gotten a girlfriend – and is motioning towards the plate of curry that Kouji is carrying.

Everyone is singing Kouji’s ‘girlfriend’s’ praises when Morishita-sensei unexpectedly says, “You should introduce us sometime, Saeki.”

Kouji wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole as he weakly replies that he will think about it.

+++

When Ashiwara gets home that night, Kouji is sitting on the couch looking like he narrowly escaped death. 

“You survived,” Ashiwara says lightly, sitting next to him.

“They _know_ ,” he says, still looking at the ceiling. “Except Morishita-sensei, who wants to meet my _girlfriend_.”

He can feel Ashiwara shaking with silent laughter beside him, and Kouji lifts his head to glare.

“If you’d like,” Ashiwara begins, face the picture of seriousness, “I can borrow a dress from my mother and one of Sunako-chan’s wigs?”

Kouji grabs one of the decorative pillows and tosses it at Ashiwara, who bursts into laughter.

“I’m going to bed,” Kouji announces, and leaves the laughing Ashiwara in the living room.


End file.
